Laser Skin Resurfacing Glasgow

Full field laser resurfacing involves removing the entire surface of the skin, in contrast to most of our modern lasers that work by treating only a fraction of the skin’s surface with each pass.

The fractional approach is ideal for patients with minor skin damage or who want minimal downtime. However, when the skin needs more extensive rejuvenation, a full field laser skin resurfacing treatment is best.

Before

Full field laser resurfacing for the face is an invasive procedure that is performed by our expert medical professionals under local anaesthetic to ensure minimal discomfort. That means we begin by injecting local anaesthetic — similar to the dentist — to first make the skin numb.

As part of our facial resurfacing treatment, we can also perform laser skin resurfacing under the eyes to tighten the eyelids. If we are planning to treat the skin around the eyes — which most patients opt to have — we need to place metal contact lenses in the eyes to protect the surface of the eye from the laser. Although this sounds quite alarming, most patients tolerate it very well, especially those who are used to wearing regular contact lenses.

During

During the skin resurfacing procedure, the laser is passed over the skin in multiple passes, each time removing a controlled amount of the skin’s surface until we achieve the desired results. It is normal to feel some heat building up in the skin. Patients often describe the sensation of the laser treatment as a feeling similar to sunburn.

Following the laser resurfacing procedure, the treatment area is covered in a vaseline-like substance (Aquaphor), and you go home with instructions on how to care for your skin during the healing process. We ask you to clean your skin 2 or 3 times per day using a special antiseptic solution that we provide for you.

You will also be prescribed a course of antibiotics and a course of antiviral medication to reduce the chances of infection during the healing process. This is vital because an infection of any sort can result in scarring or permanent changes to the pigmentation of the skin — so the initial healing period is critical.

After

The initial recovery time after a full field laser skin resurfacing treatment can be up to 2 weeks, and during the first week, we will see you daily to check that the epidermis is healing well and to ensure you have been able to clean your skin properly.

This is what you can expect after the procedure:

• When you leave the clinic, it is normal for your skin to ooze for the first 24 hours. In most cases, the oozing stops after 24 hours, but it can persist for 2 or 3 days. The swelling typically gets worse in the first couple of days, peaking around day 3, before slowly starting to get better.
• By around 5-7 days after the face resurfacing treatment, the new skin will have grown back; although at this stage, you will likely still have some swelling and redness.
• Normally by around day 10-14, most of the initial healing is done and you will be able to start wearing makeup and getting back to most normal activities. The redness will gradually fade to pink and then eventually go back to your normal skin colour.
• It can sometimes take up to 6 months for the final stages of the pinkness to go completely, but we will be here to guide you through this process.

If you have more questions about this procedure, you can get in touch with our patient relationship manager or book a consultation with one of our aesthetic experts to find out if laser resurfacing is the right skin rejuvenation treatment for you.

Choose McKeown Medical for laser resurfacing treatments with long lasting results that can help you achieve your aesthetic goals and regain your confidence.